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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. root — of a plant
  3. band — a ring
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. face — part of the head
  6. root — the cause
  7. band — a music group
  8. branch — a division
  9. cue — a hint
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. cap — of ice
  12. face — to confront
  13. cue — a signal
  14. root — of a word
  15. cap — a lid
  16. march — the month
  17. march — the month
  18. fine — high quality
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. cap — a hat
  21. march — music
  22. cue — for pool
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. face — to point toward

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com